A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 04 eBook

Spanish troops, knowing by experience that the allies
were of more harm than benefit in a night attack.
At day-break next morning, Sandoval put his troops
in motion, and was soon fronted by three large bodies
of the enemy, who endeavoured to surround him.
Forming his cavalry in two squadrons, he attacked
the enemy with such spirit that they were soon broken
and dispersed, with the loss of two soldiers and three
horses on his side. The allies made terrible havock
after this victory, burning and plundering all before
them, till the arrival of the army at St Estevan.
The remains of this colony were found in a miserable
condition, and the soldiers of Garay assured him that
its preservation was entirely owing to the bravery
and conduct of our few veterans who were there.
Sandoval divided his army into several bodies, which
he entrusted to the command of the veterans, and sent
them to overrun the neighbouring districts, with orders
to send in all the provisions they could collect,
being unable to go out himself, as he was badly wounded.
In the course of three days, his parties sent in many
prisoners of the ordinary class, and five chiefs;
but Sandoval released the common people, and ordered
his troops to make no more prisoners, except of such
chiefs as had been concerned in or present at the
murder of the Spaniards. In a few days Sandoval
was able to take the field, and by skilful measures
he made prisoners of twenty caciques, who had commanded
where no less than six hundred Spaniards were slain.
He then summoned all the neighbouring towns to send
their chiefs to him to treat of peace and submission:
Some obeyed, but others neglected to attend, and he
thought it best to dissimulate with the latter for
the present, till he had informed Cortes what had been
already done, and had received his orders as to the
disposal of the prisoners and his future procedure.
Cortes, who now conferred the vacant command of St
Estevan on Sandoval, ordered all who had been any way
concerned in the murder of the Spaniards to be punished
with death, as an example to deter others from being
guilty of the like offence, directing Diego de Ocampo,
as alcalde-major, to take the necessary steps against
them, with orders to execute all who should be found
guilty. He gave orders likewise to conciliate
the natives by all possible means, and to prevent
the soldiers of Garay from committing any future outrages.
Two days after the receipt of these orders, the accused
caciques were brought to trial; and many of them being
found guilty by evidence, or by their own confession,
were publickly executed, some being burnt and others
hanged. Many also were pardoned; and all the
districts which had belonged to the caciques who suffered
on this occasion, were restored to their children or
other heirs. Ocampo now proceeded against all
those Spaniards who had been guilty of outrages, going
about the country in bands, plundering and murdering
the natives, or who had invited other soldiers to desert